Let’s face it, Einstein said and did some incredibly amazing things during his lifetime. Best known for the theory of relativity, his other contributions to science have altered the path of human history. There are dozens of inspirational quotes taken from Einstein’s work, and my favorite one of them is “You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.”
I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot in the last couple of days. Like everyone, from time to time I find myself in a bit of a funk – feeling restless and wishing life would be different than it is. Not my entire life, there is SO MUCH that I love and am incredibly grateful for. But we wouldn’t be truly living or growing if there wasn’t something else that we want to learn, know or do. Sometimes, on that quest we find ourselves in deep, dark, places, scary places, teetering on the edge of the unknown and entirely unsure of what to do next.
To draw upon a quote from another one of my inspirations ‘un-slumping yourself is not easily done.’ (Dr. Seuss, The Places You’ll Go) What makes un-slumping yourself easier is remembering this great Einstein quote. When you break it down, basically what he’s saying is that you cannot change the way you’re feeling or solve your most burning problem if you don’t shift out of the thinking that got you there in the first place. So, change is required. A shift in consciousness is required.
When you’re stuck in that slump, creative inspiration can be a little hard to come by. That makes it incredibly difficult to make a change and see the world anew. So, create a plan now for the things you can do to shift your consciousness and get yourself back into the flow. When you next find yourself in that space (and we’ll all get there at one time or another), force yourself to take the first steps in your get-the-funk-out game plan and you’ll discover that you’re back into high spirits, high creativity, and feeling like life is fun again in no time.
Here are a few of my never-failed-before strategies to get you started:
- Get Out: Get out of your house, out of the office, out of your habits. Go somewhere that inspires you – a beautiful spot in nature, a local coffee shop where you’re likely to run into people you know who uplift you, or anywhere else you know you enjoy being.
- Make a Mixed Tape: OK, maybe not the mixed tape of our youth, but rather a playlist of songs that you can’t help but sing or dance along to. It won’t take many minutes of listening to this happiness soundtrack before you start to feel a shift.
- Do Something New: Find a class or lecture you can attend. Try out that spinning class at the gym you’ve always been wanting to try out. Keep a little list of interesting things you’d like to do that you notice around town and get out and do one of them. Learning something new will set your thoughts and feelings on a new track and can help you to see your life from a whole new perspective.
- Treat Yourself: Sometimes being in a funk is simply because we haven’t been taking very best care of ourselves lately. Get a pedicure or a massage. Go for tea with a girlfriend. Go on an impromptu romantic date. Have a hot bath. Do something that is all about taking care of you!
- Take a Nap: Odds are, you need the rest. Plus, studies show that when we take a nap it allows our brains to process data (thoughts and feelings) from our day up to this point. When you wake up, you might find that you’ve discovered a creative solution to your current dilemma. At the very least, you will have reset yourself so that you can approach the situation anew.
What are your never-fail tips for getting yourself out of a funk and back on your path?
